Probity Issue No. 93 - Decemeber 2016

Visit to the MINI Factory

Photo - Bernard Novell

On Tuesday 27th September a group of Members visited the Mini Plant at Cowley.

The tour started with a short minibus ride to the100,000 sq.m. 'Body in White' facility where 435 separate body panels and sub assemblies come in from the Swindon plant to be welded together. An army of about 1000 robots make up to 6000 spot welds in assembling each car to an accuracy smaller than the thickness of a human hair. Three different body models can be produced in any sequence and all untouched by human hand save for the loading of the delivered components into magazines at each start point. By the end of this process the body is complete and ready to be painted so off it goes to the paint plant.

Back to the minibus and on to the Assembly building to see all the other bits added to the vehicles as they slowly move through the process of adding the wiring harness, cockpit fitment, glazing, seats through to engine 'marriage', wheels, fluids and door fitment. The doors were originally added in the 'Body in White' facility and painted in the paint plant. Then they were removed and, while the body components were added on the ground floor, the door components were added on the upper level. They are reunited with the original car just before it is driven off the line at the rate of one car every 68 seconds.

A Mini is made up of around 3,600 individual components. As there are 15,000,000,000,000,000 different combinations of Mini options available, it is unlikely that there will ever be two cars exactly the same roll off the line at Oxford. Bernard Novell

Old age is ...​... having a choice of two temptations and choosing the one that will get you home earlier.... when you are cautioned to slow down by your doctor instead of by the police.​... when you don't care where your wife goes, just as long as you don't have to go along too.

Ed's Perfect Christmas Presents ...

Ed's Christmas Crossword

​As it’s Christmas, your Editor will donate £25 to the charity of choice of the sender of the first correct solution drawn out of the hat during our January meeting – so, pens out, thinking caps on!

​Across

6. Dad, see Lefties swarming to welcome the 12 Faithful ! (6,7) 8. Gong, for example, may make rum sort of drink! (6) 9. Trouble with cancer, it leaves no middle! (8)10. Headgear worn by some firm, obdurate individuals(3)11. Girl of whom 6 down sang in the highest key? (6)12. Roman fed, in a manner of speaking! (8)14. Croat sailor turned gymnast (7)16. Some secret info. I'll find helpful cooking the turkey! (7)20. In the manner of a junior member of 6 down? (8)23. Hopes built around Carbon dates (6)24. Some, near another Christmas, hurried on. (3)25. Give music words, or belt it out. (8)26. Completely stuffed - as Joseph heard! (2,4)27."Performing Ms King's songs" as the efforts of 6 down might be described? (7,6)

​Solution to No 11 - Congratualtions to Winner Tim Cox

Down

1. Len at length got around to becoming a great artist (8) 2. Tag team, losing direction, is confused by marks (8) 3. A loud, unlikely story may be pleasant enough! (7) 4. Notice opening in the approach. (6) 5. Upsetting glue tin, I lost farinaceous component (6) 6. Musical Hosts? (7,6) 7. Curiously, NHS ordered satanic oil for children's ​ Christmas visitor! (5,8)13. One star venue? Not out in the North... (3)14. ..but there's been a change in the amount of energy (3)17. I can rile, but with peaceful outcome (8)18. Frills-For-U, repeatedly confused! (4-4)19. He was tight, but not drunk, at Christmas (7)21. Navy ruse to show TV repeats again (6)22. Humble dwelling or shelter? Both, that is. (6)